


Fhirdiad Fringe

by bernard_greybridge



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Fluff, Gay Panic, Gilbert Pronislav's Bad Parenting, Hairstylist Felix Hugo Fraldarius, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Unlocking Tragic Backstories, all hours are gilbert bashing hours, and the customer is usually dark and gloomy, because i’m not like OTHER authors, do not read if you like gilbert, faerghus four, gilbert bashing hours, hairstylist AU, no beta we die like Glenn, the hairstylist is usually bright and chipper, well i mixed things up, you know how in most hairstylist aus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bernard_greybridge/pseuds/bernard_greybridge
Summary: “What’s wrong with my hair?” Ashe pouted.“Nothing.” Mercedes assured, hands raised up placatingly. “I just meant that you haven’t really changed your hair since college.”“It does look rather.” Dedue paused as if trying to conjure the proper word. “Unkempt.”So really, when Ashe grabbed dinner that weekend with Dedue and saw how well and evenly it was bleached pure white, he couldn’t just not heed their advice and go check out the salon on his next day off.Which was how he ended up in Fhirdiad Fringe, an edgy looking salon right across the street from Mercedes and Dedue’s restaurant, with an absolutely gorgeous dark haired man glaring at him from behind the counter.(AKA: Dedue is the “root” of all of Ashe’s problems and Felix is just really hot okay.)
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Fhirdiad Fringe

**Author's Note:**

> This took me THREE TIMES to upload.
> 
> This was supposed to be a cute fluffy gay panic story and I just spent so much time rewriting their trauma to fit into a modern setting.
> 
> Also I don’t know anything about hairstyling and I haven’t been to a salon in three years.

In all honesty, it was Dedue’s fault.

Ashe was not the type of person who was very vindictive. He wasn’t particularly spiteful and he thought holding grudges was a waste of time and energy. Even when his adoptive father and brother both died from unjust police brutality, he still respected officers as a whole and what they stood for, and he still wanted to be a cop in order to prevent those types of incidents from happening again.

However his best friend Dedue was definitely to blame for this situation.

He had joined the other man and their two friends Annette and Mercedes for lunch the other day.

“Your roots are showing again,” Dedue commented noncommittally. Ashe knew the taller man was just making a passing observation and didn’t mean anything by it, but it still caught the shorter man off guard. His eyes darted upwards but, for reasons he didn’t think needed to be explained, he couldn’t very well actually see said roots.

“The dye job’s pretty faded, too,” Annette added.

“Now that you mention it, it’s getting a little shaggy, as well.” Mercedes hummed. “When was the last time you had it cut?”

“Please stop staring at my hair.” Ashe tried to hide his head in his arms. “I haven’t been able to afford going to get it redone. And I don’t trust me enough to do it myself.”

“Oh, a friend of mine just opened a new salon last moon!” Annette piped up. “They’re really good!”

“Which friend?” Ashe asked curiously.

“A guy I dated in high school.” Annette shrugged. “We ended on good terms, though! And he’s still a good friend of mine. He’s the one who talked me out of my pigtail phase. Ugh.”

“Oh is this Felix?” Mercedes perked up. “He’s the one who cut my hair.”

It had been quite the drastic cut, too. They had all complimented her on it as soon as they arrived. The short bob suited her style much more.

“Felix? As in from Fhirdiad Fringe?” Dedue frowned thoughtfully. “I believe Dimitri started working at his salon. I already made plans to bleach my hair again there this weekend. Their salon is on the other side of the road from our restaurant.”

“Why do you all know about this salon and I don’t?” Ashe pouted. “Am I no longer in the gossip chain?”

“You just spend too much time buried in your books.” The corner of Dedue’s mouth twitched. Ashe would have been delighted if he wasn’t utterly destroyed from the call out.

“Anyway, I could totally bully Felix into giving you a discount if you want!” Annette offered.

“No, no, it’s okay!” Ashe flailed his arms in protest.

It never sat right with him accepting help from others. And he was aware of the hypocrisy considering the occupation he was training for. But he always hated being pitied or being seen as a charitable donation. He knew his friends didn’t see him that way, and he knew that they didn’t mean anything by it, and he knew some like Annette were a bit more well off and could easily afford to treat him. But still. It was the principle of the matter.

“You could try to get a new hairstyle, too,” Mercedes offered lightly.

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Ashe pouted.

“Nothing.” Mercedes assured, hands raised up placatingly. “I just meant that you haven’t really changed your hair since college.”

“It does look rather.” Dedue paused as if trying to conjure the proper word. “Unkempt.”

So really, when Ashe grabbed dinner that weekend with Dedue and saw how well and evenly it was bleached pure white, he couldn’t just not heed their advice and go check out the salon on his next day off.

Which was how he ended up in Fhirdiad Fringe, an edgy looking salon right across the street from Mercedes and Dedue’s restaurant, with an absolutely gorgeous dark haired man glaring at him from behind the counter. His long hair was in an ombre, a gradient from black to blue, and it was pulled back in a messy ponytail. His hair was like a time lapsed skyline. The black looked like a starless night before it slowly turned into a cloudlessly blue day.

“Do you have an appointment?” The stunning man demanded, squinting at him.

“Huh?” Ashe couldn’t really register what he was saying, suddenly transfixed with his eyes that burned like a sun against the dark sky that framed his face. “Oh. No. Sorry! Do you take walk in’s?”

The beautiful man opened his mouth, a look of distaste on his face, but before he could chew Ashe up and spit him out, another voice chirped in.

“Sure!” A tall man with artfully disheveled auburn hair exclaimed. The ends of his ruffled red hair looked like they were dipped in blue hair dye. Normally people with frosted tips looked like jerks, but somehow he pulled it off. “We’re pretty free today, and we only have one customer in right now. Come on, Felix, we need the business!”

“Oh, you’re Felix?” Ashe blurted. The attractive man, or Felix rather, glanced back at him, eyes narrowing again. “Annette mentioned you. She recommended this place.”

For a split second, Felix’s face softened a fraction when their mutual friend’s name was mentioned. That was when Ashe knew he was royally screwed. The scorching stars in his eyes flickered into more of a warm sunrise, and there was a ghost of a smile that graced his face. Until a far more fervid fire grew in those eyes, and his face hardened again, his features harshening, which did wonders for his cheekbones.

“Is she coming?” Felix demanded. Ashe frowned and shook his head. The other man let out a sharp sigh of relief. “Good. Sylvain, take him in.”

“Got it, boss!” The redhead, Sylvain, winked at Felix, who hissed back at him like an angry cat. He then shepherded Ashe to a vacant seat by a sink.

Ashe spotted a middle aged man with a long ginger weave on a chair in the opposite side of the salon, notably as far away from Felix’s counter as possible. He was being tended by a woman with a short blonde bob that was tightly braided at the back. She had thin blue highlights that intertwined in her braid.

She was accompanied by the only person in the salon that Ashe could recognize, Dimitri, Dedue’s boyfriend. His long blond hair was done half up. His bangs were dyed blue, too, and they were layered over his right eye. Dimitri seemed to be talking to the middle aged man while the blonde woman worked on the weave. Though she had a distinct scowl in her face as she worked.

“Sorry about Felix over there.” Sylvain sighed as he sat Ashe down on his seat. “He’s pretty grumpy today. Well, he’s grumpy everyday, but today especially.”

“Oh no.” Ashe furrowed his eyebrows on concern. “I hope he feels better soon.”

The redhead eyed him carefully before cracking a grin.

“Goddess you’re cute.” Sylvain laughed. “And short. That’s not an insult, I swear! But short and cute does seem to be Felix’s type.” Ashe felt his cheeks heat up. What was that supposed to mean? “Anyway, don’t worry about him. So, what are you looking for?”

Sylvain gestured at the two blonds from across the room. “Ingrid over there is amazing with extensions and weaves. Plus she can do braids like a champ. Dimitri is who you want for stuff like bleach and dye.”

The redhead then puffed up his chest proudly. “I’m the best stylist. I can straighten, curl, gel, mouse, wax, and if you want a perm, I’m charming enough to coax you out of it!”

He then jerked his head back to the counter. “Felix, the charming lad you just met, is the man with the blades. I’m serious, if you want anything cut or shaved or even just trimmed, he will have your back. He has an entire collection of scissors in here for very specific situations. He also has an entire arsenal of fancy knives and swords back in his apartment. If he wasn’t my best friend, I would think he’s a serial killer.”

“I want a haircut and a dye job, please.” Ashe bit his lip for a moment before adding, “I could use some help styling it, too.”

“I can go over your styling options with you once I see what I’m working with.” Sylvain smirked slyly. He glanced to the side and recoiled, before sighing in what sounded like resignation. “I better give Ingrid a break. She can wash out your hair first.”

“Wait, if you’re giving her a break, why are you giving her another job?” Ashe asked in confusion.

“Trust me, compared to what she’s doing right now, she’ll think I just told her she’s on paid leave.” Sylvain shook his head, baffling him further, but was already walking away before he could ask any other follow up questions.

When the blonde woman, Ingrid, walked up to him, unbridled relief painted her face.

“Ashe right?” He nodded in confirmation. “Do you have any product in your hair?” She asked as she draped a dark blue barber’s cape over him, clasping the velcro around his neck. He stifled a giggle as the fabric tickled his nape and shook his head. She nodded and wrapped a towel around his shoulders, before she lowered the chair and he leaned back so his head was in the sink.

“So, what do you do, Ashe?” She asked as she started rinsing his hair.

“I work in Loog’s Library with Annette.” He answered cheerily.

“I love that place!” Ingrid nearly jumped up in excitement. “I used to drag those guys there all the time when we were kids to try and get them to read a book for once.”

“Oh, you’ve all known each other since you were kids?” Ashe asked.

“Unfortunately.” Ingrid chuckled in good nature as she started applying shampoo. “We’ve basically known each other all of our lives. For better or worse.”

“That must be nice.” Ashe smiled sadly.

“You didn’t have a lot of friends growing up?” Ingrid scrunched up her face, as if she found the thought baffling.

“I had my brother and my sister.” He grinned in reassurance. “And when we got adopted, we had books! I always loved reading fairytales and adventures about knights.”

“As do I,” she agreed, before rinsing off the suds and applying conditioner. “I love stories of knights saving kingdoms. They’re part of the reason why I’m training to join the police force.”

“So am I!” Ashe beamed. “I plan on applying to Garreg Mach Officers Academy.”

“Me, too!” Ingrid laughed. “Wow. You want to be a cop and you love books. You should really not mention either of those things to Felix.”

“What things?” Felix asked, looking both bemused and unamused as he approached, his eyes darting between them.

Ashe nearly leaped out of his chair, only held back by Ingrid giving him a final rinse. The taller man shook his hair out of its loose ponytail, and he watched entranced as the waterfall of ink cascaded down his shoulders. He gathered all of the stray strands and combed them back, twisting it into a neat and tight bun. The shorter man suddenly felt his mouth dry. Well, at least it was a better alternative to drooling outright.

“Sylvain mentioned that you wanted to get your hair cut?” He quirked an eyebrow upwards as Ingrid lifted the chair back up. Ashe nodded shakily, which was a mistake considering that his hair was still very much dripping wet and he sent water scattering everywhere. Both of the hairstylists were victims of the friendly fire.

A drenched but forgiving Ingrid wrapped a towel over his head, and he was ushered over to another seat by a mirror. His blonde escort waved at him goodbye before going back to the middle aged man in the other side of the room.

“So, what things shouldn’t you mention to me?” Felix asked, eyebrow still raised.

“Apparently, I shouldn’t say that I want to be a cop and that I love books?” Ashe answered unsurely. The look of utter distaste on the other man’s face was enough to shock a laugh out of him.

“Let me guess, there’s so must injustice in the world that you feel like it is your duty and your honor to serve the people?” Felix asked with a mocking eye roll. Ashe watched as the taller man pulled out a pair of scissors that seemed to have been sheathed in what looked like a small scabbard on his belt. Upon a closer inspection, there seemed to be several similar holsters that decorated the belt, all with scissor handles poking out. “And you were inspired by the heroes in your books?”

“There is some merit to that conclusion, yes.” Ashe’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down on his throat as the other man’s gaze meticulously appraised the scissors’ blade in his hand.

“Where do you want me to cut?” Felix asked after he was done analyzing the pair of scissors. He hooked an index finger into the handle and started twirling it, which made the shorter man’s own head spin in tandem. Suddenly he caught the blade, raised it to his head, and pierced it through his bun so it was securely fastened into his hair. Ashe unconsciously licked his lips.

“I want the sides and back to be shorter, but keep the middle and front long, please.” Ashe managed to breathe out after a beat.

Felix nodded in understanding, before moving his hands to Ashe’s towel wrapped head. He massaged his scalp through the towel, gently rubbing the water out. Ashe had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from moaning. When calloused but surprisingly tender fingers lifted the towel out of his head, Ashe was seeing stars.

The black and blue haired man carded his fingers through the dried hair with one hand as he untucked the scissors out of his hair again. Ashe felt a tingling sensation run down his spine as he made his first cut.

“You weren’t completely right, by the way,” Ashe blurted out, trying not to focus too much on the other man running his fingers through his hair. Upon meeting Felix’s questioning gaze, he clarified, “About why I want to be a police officer. I’m not naive. I know that whenever cops are on the news lately, it’s not usually for good reasons. That’s why I want to be one. To change things.”

Ashe watched as Felix’s face morphed from confused to intrigue. The shorter man chewed on his lip for a moment before continuing. “My siblings and I grew up on the streets. I became a petty pickpocket. Then one day, a good man named Lonato caught me trying to steal from him. He showed me mercy and offered us a place to stay. We were adopted soon after.”

The taller man wordlessly offered him a handkerchief before Ashe even realized that he was crying. He thanked him as he wiped the tears in his eyes, before he continued, “He had another son, Christophe. But about nine years ago, Christophe was wrongfully accused for a crime he didn’t commit and died from excessive force by the officers upon his arrest. My adoptive father has hated cops ever since.”

Ashe smiled sadly. “He was actually the one who taught me how to read and write. He’s the one who got me into books. Whenever I pictured the heroes in the stories I read, I would imagine my adoptive father. But after Christophe died, Lonato changed. He made some mistakes. He got involved with the wrong people. And around five years ago, he was implicated by those people. He was their scapegoat. Their fall guy. He died from police brutality, just like Christophe did. That’s why I want to be a policeman. To prevent incidents like that from repeating.”

Felix went quiet for a beat afterwards. The only noise emitted between the two men was the sound of the scissors snipping away at his hair. Eventually, Felix broke the silence.

“My brother and father died, too.” Ashe’s eyes shot up, trying to meet the other man’s eyes through his reflection on the mirror, but Felix’s gaze was fixed on his hair. “My father was a cop, and my brother Glenn followed in his footsteps. I was supposed to, as well. But nearly a decade ago, my brother fell on the field. My father glorified his death. Said it was the most honorable way to go. It was disgusting. Like my father only ever saw Glenn as a policeman rather than his son.”

Ashe’s eyebrows pinched together as the taller man’s grip on his scissors visibly tightened. “When I said I didn’t want to be like them anymore, we grew apart. You know the boar, right? Dimitri? He was supposed to go to Garreg Mach Officers Academy with Ingrid. He was involved in the incident with Glenn. He was held hostage by some thugs, but my brother saved his life. The boar lost his father that day, and my old man was able to adopt him since he was best friends with his father. Plus, he wanted to help the life his son saved or something. And when he said he wanted to be a cop, my old man was over the moon. It was like there was a new Glenn. Sadly, there was no new me.”

The shorter man’s gaze shifted to the blond still chatting with the middle aged man from across the room. He knew from Dedue that Dimitri had a complicated past, but he hadn’t known how bad it was. “Earlier this year, the thugs who killed my brother found the boar. He was the sole survivor of the incident, so their gang blamed him for their losses. He lost an eye. And my old man lost his life. The boar got severely wounded, and he can no longer apply to the Officers Academy, since it would aggravate his injuries. So, I offered him a job here.”

Felix finally met his eyes. “I despise policemen and fairytales because I loathe idolizing martyrdom. I was the fencing team captain and a straight A student. But my old man only cared if I was willing to die for strangers.”

Ashe blinked up a him, speechless, before finally breaking into a wide grin, startling the other man. “You know what, Felix? You’re just like the knight in one of my favorite books! He sees the flaws in the kingdom and rebels because he knows it can be better! And underneath all of his snark, he has a caring heart.”

Felix seemed to be stunned mute. He let out a big sigh. “Is this The Sword of Kyphon?”

“You know it? I thought you said you didn’t like those types of books!” Ashe beamed excitedly.

“I don’t,” Felix snapped. “But Glenn used to read it to me. Against my will. Obviously.”

“Of course.” Ashe grinned. The corner of Felix’s mouth twitched, which made the shorter man’s eyes trail onto his lips.

“You know, if I’m the knight, then you’re like the squire.” Felix smirked, which did things to Ashe’s chest. “Earnest and loyal, but cunning and hardworking.”

“I named my cat after him!” Ashe practically vibrated on his seat.

“You named your cat Pan?” Felix shook his head with a strangely fond look on his face. Suddenly, the taller man’s eyes widened. “Wait, you have a cat?”

“Yep!” Ashe fished his phone out of his pocket. “You want to see pictures?”

“Yes,” Felix answered, almost shy, but determined. Ashe watched, as if in a trance, as the other man’s face lit up as he scrolled through Ashe’s Pan Pics photo album.

“Do you have a cat, too?” Ashe asked, trying to distract himself from the enchanting smile the other man had. Felix nodded, somewhat absentminded. “What’s its name?”

Then, the most astounding thing occurred. Something that Ashe was not prepared for. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Felix blushed.

A bright shade of pink painted his face like the sky during sunsets. Ashe felt his own face flush as a reflex. Which was humiliating because his freckles lit up like polka dots whenever his face heated up.

Felix coughed into a fist, glaring at the scissors in his hand as if they personally offended him, as he answered, somewhat bashfully, “My cat’s name is Kyphon.”

Ashe instinctually broke into a fit of laughter, which seemed to embarrass the other man further.

“Anyway, I think I’m just about done here.” Felix forced out a cough. He tucked his scissors away. And held up a mirror behind Ashe’s head so he could look at his hair from behind. “How does it look?”

Ashe went slack-jawed as he admired his newly cut hair. Felix made it so that his curls framed his face better and pushed his bangs to the side so it no longer obscured his eyes.

“Do you want it shorter or something?” Felix asked a split second before Ashe realized he had yet to answer his question. “Or did I cut it too short?”

“No, no, no! It’s perfect!” Ashe answered honestly, beaming at him. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Oh. That’s good.” Felix coughed again, eyes darting to the side. “Oh look, the boar’s here to dye your hair, so I best head back to the counter,” Felix deadpanned bluntly, face still colored prettily.

True to his word, Felix abruptly speed walked back to the counter. And a confused Dimitri approached his chair.

“Hello, Ashe. Here’s a pamphlet with the names and colors of our dyes.” Dimitri’s fingers ran through his hair. It was firm, like Felix, but he threaded his fingers through his curls carefully, like he was delicate. He didn’t like being treated like he was fragile. “Your natural hair color is fairly bright, so we won’t have to bleach it.”

Ashe leafed through the pamphlet, checking out the sample pictures of the gray options. He had always colored his hair a silvery gray, since it reminded him of Lonato’s own hair. He then thought of Felix, who shared a similar burden as him and seemed to carry it with pride, and yet was defiantly still his own person outside of his trauma.

He skimmed towards the adjacent colors, and his eyes landed on the perfect hue.

“I would like to dye my hair this color, please.” Ashe pointed at the sample photo for reference with a grin.

“It would suit you nicely.” Dimitri mirrored his soft smile.

After Dimitri gathered the materials and parted his hair into segments, Ashe blurted out, “Felix told me about what happened to you. I’m sorry. I just thought I should let you know that I know, and I apologize if you wanted to keep those things to yourself. I’m sure Felix didn’t mean to invade your privacy.”

A single bright blue eye blinked at him owlishly. Ashe focused on his reflection in the mirror, looking at every strip of aluminum foil used to divide his hair into sections.

“I fear that my past and Felix’s past is so interwoven that it is interchangeable.” The blond shook his head dismissively as he started applying the dye. “Neither of us can share many stories not involving the other. And you are trustworthy, Ashe.”

“You are, too!” Ashe cheered. “Dedue is lucky to have you.”

The blond spluttered, tinting into an angry red.

“I believe that I am the lucky one.” Dimitri hid his face in his hands.

As the blond started to mix the ingredients of the dye, Ashe worked up the nerve to ask, “Dimitri? I don’t mean to pry, so you don’t have to answer. But why does Felix call you boar?”

It wasn’t until Dimitri started applying the dye that he actually acknowledged his question.

“I believe I previously stated that neither Felix nor I have many stories that don’t involve one another, correct?” Dimitri sighed. “The same is true for all for of us, really. After Glenn’s death, we all changed. Glenn had been the big brother figure Sylvain never had. His actual brother and his entire family are all dastards, so Glenn was the only adult whom he trusted to guide him. After his death, he became a skirt chaser, so to speak. He constantly sought out validation from flings and one night stands. Meanwhile, Ingrid had also come from an unsupportive household. So she always admired Glenn and his strength and virtue and kindness, and she still wants to be like him. That’s why she’s applying to Garreg Mach Officers Academy, because it was Glenn’s alma matter. But after his death, she became strict and rigid. On herself, us, and others. She would defend reports of excessive force if she believed the victims were guilty. She became a foil to Felix, in a way. He grew to judge cops, she grew to judge convicted criminals. It took a lot of time for her to trust Dedue, just because his family has a criminal background. Even though evidence supports that they were framed.”

Dimitri laughed darkly.

“And yet, they still turned out to be the most well adjusted. Felix used to be such a sensitive child. He used to cry at the slightest provocation, though he would stab me if I ever brought it up. But after his brother passed, he became distant and harsh. He would argue with the rest of us. He was still sensitive, but instead of crying he turned to violence. He joined the fencing team, every martial arts club, and self defense classes. He just wanted to train and fight.”

Dimitri’s expression turned grim.

“We were similar in that regard. I, too, grew angry and wild. But unlike him, I repressed it. It was like there was a monster inside of me. Something that yearned nothing more than the thrill of a battle. I thought I could hear Glenn’s and my father’s voices in my head, telling me I needed revenge. I did my best to resist giving in to the creature within me. I starved it. But that only made it more feral and hungry whenever it got loose. Felix learned that the hard way.”

Ashe licked his lips in anticipation mixed with apprehension mixed with dread.

“There was a brawl back in high school, and Sylvain and Ingrid left to get a teacher. Felix and I tried to break it up, but something inside me just snapped. All of the pent up frustration and ferocity I swallowed down broke loose. I truthfully do not recall anything in the haze of my madness. However, all of the students involved in the skirmish, including Felix, had to be hospitalized. Except for me. And Felix has called me a boar ever since.”

Ashe didn’t know how to react. Unsure what else to do or say, he swiveled his chair to face him and wrapped his arms around the blond’s waist in reassurance. He nuzzled his cheek against his chest as felt a large hand pat his back awkwardly. He squeezed even harder as he felt the tall man finally lean into the embrace.

“Rodrigue, Felix’s father, did not aide much in this regard.” Dimitri sighed as Ashe pulled away. “He was a good man. He meant well. He welcomed me into his home and treated me like I was his own. Perhaps a little too much. He became rather neglectful of Felix after Glenn’s passing, and the rift between them grew after Felix announced that he no longer wanted to become a policeman like him. After a while, the beast got out again, and stayed out. After high school, I withdrew all of my late father’s savings, and then cut ties with Felix and the others. I ignored Rodrigue’s increasingly frantic calls. I moved out of Faerghus. I went to college under a fake name in the other side of Fódlan. And I planned to go to Garreg Mach, thinking that’s what Glenn would have wanted. They all were terrified that I had died. To my knowledge, my disappearance did not bridge the gap between them. If anything, they grew farther apart, because Rodrigue spent all of his time dedicated to searching for me.”

Dimitri held a hand to the right side of his face. His one good eye was shut tight.

“Earlier this year, I found the gang that murdered Glenn and my father. I planned on killing them all myself. It was insane, I know. Rodrigue’s squad got there on time, but he didn’t make it. It was only after his passing whenI felt my head finally clear.”

The blond let out a shaky sigh if relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“Afterwards, I reconnected with the others. The moment he saw me, Sylvain punched me in the face for scaring them for all this time. Ingrid gave me the lecture of my life. And Felix cried for the first time in years. Then we all hugged which we had not done in what felt like a lifetime. And then I recovered from my injuries, but I knew I could no longer follow in Rodrigue’s and Glenn’s footsteps. And honestly, I am not sure if that was ever truly my desire. Eventually, I reconnected with Dedue, the only friend I made in high school and the only friend I had outside of Felix and the others. And through him, I met you and Annette and Mercedes. I started going to therapy to deal with my issues. And then Felix offered me a job here, as if I am not indebted to him enough as it stands.”

“I’m happy that you were able to find peace.” Ashe beamed at him wetly.

“The animal is still here.” The blond shook his head. “And I still hear the ghosts of my past calling out to me. I am afraid that I may never find peace. But I have my old friends back. And I have my dear Dedue. And I have my new friends like you. And I think that is enough.”

Dimitri offered him a small smile. Ashe gave him a soft grin in return.

“It will take some time for the dye to set.” The tall man instructed as he methodically placed an opaque cap over his hair. He glanced over his shoulder and clenched his jaw. “Ingrid and Sylvain seem to have finished with Gilbert, so they should want to take their breaks now. I must man the counter, else Felix attack him. I shall send Felix over here to entertain you while you wait for your hair to set.”

“Who’s Gilbert? And why would Felix attack him?” Ashe asked, bewildered at the sudden change in mood, however, Dimitri was already jogging to the counter. His gaze shifted to the other side of the room, where Ingrid was swiftly storming off in a huff out the door, Sylvain hot in her heels and looking ready to kick something. The middle aged man from before, whose weave was now pulled back into an intricate braid, had risen from his seat, and now seemed to be walking to the counter and a strained looking Dimitri. It was only when he spotted Felix stomping towards him that he remembered the latter part of his statement. Ashe could already feel his face start to heat up.

“The boar says you need a babysitter?” Felix scoffed, before plopping down on the chair next to Ashe’s seat. His hair was back in a messy and haphazard ponytail.

“No, no, It’s okay! You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to!” Ashe shook his head frantically. “I’ll be alright on my own!”

“It’s fine,” Felix assured, with an air of finality. “It might be a good thing, actually. If that dastard thinks I’m busy, he might not try to talk to me.”

“You mean Gilbert? The man by the counter talking to Dimitri?” Ashe frowned. “Do you not like him or something?”

Felix paused for a moment, thinking.

“You’re friends with Annette right?” Felix asked cautiously.

“Yeah?” Ashe’s face scrunched up at the abrupt change in topic.

“He’s her father.” Felix spat.

Something inside Ashe just clicked.

“You mean he’s the one who abandoned her and then suddenly popped back up recently as if nothing happened?” Ashe scowled. Or he tried to. According to his friends, his angry face just looked like he had a petulant pout. “Wait, I thought her father’s name was Gustave?”

“He changed his name so that she and her mother couldn’t find him.” Felix sneered.

“Is that why you guys act so strange around him?” Ashe asked.

“Yes.” Felix answered. There was a lull afterwards, so Ashe assumed he was done talking. However, just as he was about to change the subject, Felix continued, “Sylvain, Ingrid, and I all have, or had in my case, strained relationships with our fathers. But Annette isn’t jaded or desensitized like the rest of us, she is much more gullible and naive. We just don’t want her to get hurt again.”

“How about Dimitri?” Ashe furrowed his eyebrows. “You guys seem to keep using him as a buffer.”

“Gilbert has a soft spot for the boar.” Felix offered him a half hearted shrug. “He seems to be more attentive to him than his own child. Annette and I have that in common.”

They all watched with baited breath as the redhead finally left the salon.

“How do you know Annette, by the way?” Ashe asked curiously. “She said you dated in high school, but that’s about it.”

The black and blue haired man took his time before answering.

“After my brother died, we all drifted apart for a while.” The taller man sighed. “Ingrid threw herself into her studies. Sylvain dated half the student body. The boar had Dedue. And I had my training. I’d always stay late at the school’s gym, both to train and to avoid spending time with the boar and my old man.”

Ashe cringed in sympathy.

“Annette always stayed late at school, too. Either studying at the library or singing in the music room to practice for her recitals. We both would always leave when the school closed, so were always the last ones there. And then we became friends. She started rehearsing while I worked out or we would both study together. I just admired how endearing and driven she was. We dated through high school, before we realized we wanted different things. She’s still one of my best friends, though.”

“She told me you’re the one who talked her out of her pigtail phase.” The shorter man stifled a giggle.

“Oh Goddess, the pigtails.” Felix rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. “On our first date, we were supposed to watch a movie, but the ticket seller wouldn’t let us in because they thought she was under thirteen. We were in high school.”

“She always did have a baby face.” Ashe laughed.

“How did you meet her?” Felix asked.

“We met in college!” Ashe beamed. “We kept running into each other at the campus library. Then again, I practically lived there. I think I spent more time there than my dorm room. And after college, Annette and I worked part time at Mercedes and Dedue’s restaurant while they were still getting started. Though after more than a handful of kitchen mishaps, I don’t think they miss us all that much. And now Annette and I work at Loog’s Library together!”

Ashe chuckled lightly, but when he glanced up, Felix was giving him an odd look.

“Perhaps Sylvain had a point when he said I had a type.” Felix shook his head. Before Ashe could even begin to unpack that statement, the other man stood. “Speaking of which, your dye should be set by now. I’ll go call Sylvain and tell him his break’s over so he can start styling it.”

Felix stilled for a moment as he left. He turned back, long hair snapping at the motion like a whip. And just as sharp, the other man smirked at Ashe.

“I look forward to seeing the results.”

With that, Felix strutted back to the counter. Ashe’s wide green eyes were trained on the ponytail swinging like a hypnotist’s pocket watch. Until they trailed lower onto the other man’s toned back. And then lower still until he reached his curved ass and then his thighs and then his long legs and Ashe was monumentally screwed.

While Ashe tried to look anywhere but the counter, Sylvain entered the salon once more, a small take out bag in hand and a thoroughly stuffed looking Ingrid in tow.

When Sylvain approached, he offered him a sweet bun from the take out bag.

“We had lunch at that Almyran place next door.” Sylvain greeted. “Get as many as you want. Ingrid ate a dozen at the restaurant already, Dimitri has no tastebuds, and Felix hates sweets.”

“Thanks!” Ashe grinned, helping himself to a sweet bun. “How much did it cost? We can go splitsies!”

The redhead cocked an eyebrow at him, before shaking his head and chuckling lightly to himself.

“Goddess, you’re adorable.” Sylvain smirked, before turning to his coworkers by the counter and calling out, “Yo, Ingrid! Can you watch the counter for a bit? Felix and Dimitri haven’t taken their lunch breaks yet, and I could use a drink.”

“You could’ve gotten drinks at the damn restaurant.” Felix rolled his eyes as he rose from his seat. Dimitri clapped him on the shoulder solemnly as he followed suit.

“But it’s cheaper in the grocery store.” Ingrid pointed out as she settled behind the counter.

“Come now Felix.” Dimitri looked far too cautious talking to a man half his size. “Are you in the mood for Duscurian food?”

“You just want an excuse to see your lap dog,” Felix accused, quite accurately if Ashe were to be honest. “I knew we should’ve set up shop farther away from his restaurant. We’ve been open for no more than a moon, and yet I feel like we had lunch there no less than a dozen times.”

“You know me too well, my friend.” Dimitri chortled in good nature. “What do you suggest then?”

“Srengi?” Felix scowled at the face Dimitri made. “What does it matter to you? You have the tongue of a horse!”

“We could just get a good old fashioned Fódlani meal?” Dimitri sighed. “There is that Adrestian-Faerghan-Leicesterian fusion place?”

“Must you two have this debate every single lunch break?” Ingrid frowned. “You could at least discuss this outside.”

“Stay out of this,” Felix hissed. “This is between me and the boar. Boar, Brigidian!”

“Why do you hate me so, my friend?” Dimitri whined. “You must know that I am deathly allergic to half of their ingredients. What about that Dagdan place down the block? You said you were craving their spicy ramen this morning?”

Felix looked like he wanted to rebuttal just for the sake of arguing, before his face soured in defeat.

“Ugh, whatever.” Felix conceded. He gave Ashe a sideways glance, and those bright suns darted away as soon as he saw that the other man had noticed, before accompanying the blond out the door.

“Are they always like this?” Ashe felt like he had to ask, muffling a laugh.

“It would be more accurate to say that Felix is always like that.” Ingrid shook her head, a look of fond exasperation on her face.

“Felix is very honest and open about his beliefs,” Sylvain explained, before a smirk graced his face. “But he doesn’t really like talking about his past. He must really like you.”

Ashe felt his face heat up.

“The store is very small and vacant.” Ingrid piped up, somewhat sheepishly. “You both also talk quite loudly. And Sylvain thrives for gossip. He was practically squealing.”

“Gilbert was so distraught and confused earlier.” Sylvain giggled, pointedly ignoring the blonde’s latter statement, before eyeing Ashe like he was prey. “So, from our impeccable observation skills, we have deduced that there is definitely something going on between you two.”

“Felix just seems really nice,” Ashe squeaked. “He’s so upfront and blunt and honest, but you can tell how kindhearted he is deep down. I just like how passionate he gets and how unafraid he is to speak his mind. He just embodies all of the traits I admire in the heroes in my books so well.”

Ingrid and Sylvain shared a look.

“Tell Dimitri to keep him distracted,” Sylvain instructed.

“Dimitri would never be able to do that,” Ingrid pointed out. “Remember when we went to Annette’s improv show in high school that was mostly audience participation?”

Sylvain cringed at the recollection.

“He can’t act or lie, else Felix gets suspicious,” Sylvain agreed, before his face lit up. “Make Dimitri start a fight with him!”

“About what, though?” Ingrid raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s Dimitri talking to Felix,” Sylvain deadpanned.

“Good point.” Ingrid nodded, before bringing out her phone and typing out a flurry of texts.

“What is happening right now?” Ashe asked fearfully.

“We can tell that Felix likes you,” Sylvain answered easily, almost making Ashe fall off his chair. “And you seem interested, too. Now, let’s see what we’re working with.”

He carefully took off the cap, letting Ashe’s freshly dyed hair fall out. He marveled at the stormy color he was met with. His hair looked like cloud about to unleash a hail of snow or rain. Not quite gray, but not quite blue.

“It really suits you,” Ingrid complimented.

“I always dye my hair gray, since it reminds me of my adoptive father.” Ashe shrugged. “But after Felix talked to me about being more than just the pain we went through, I wanted to try something new. I wanted to keep the gray, but I saw how great you guys look with blue in your hair, so I thought maybe it would look good on me, too.”

“It definitely does.” Sylvain nudged him in the shoulder. “And I think I know how I want to style it. Are you open to ideas?”

Ashe’s face warmed, but he gave a determined nod.

After Sylvain explained his suggestion, Ashe was even more excited. As the redhead started brushing his hair, he asked something he had been curious about since he had entered the salon.

“So how did Felix end up opening this place?” Ashe asked. “He just doesn’t seem like the type to care a lot about appearances.”

“Believe us, we know.” Sylvain chuckled. “My conspiracy theory is that Felix just really wanted to work with sharp objects, but didn’t want to go to medical school.”

“And while that is an interesting hypothesis.” Ingrid rolled her eyes, before turning to Ashe with a soft expression. “The real reason is that Felix didn’t really know what to do with his life after college. He got a business management degree that Rodrigue coerced him into pursuing, but he mostly spent his time fencing.”

“Then Rodrigue died, and we got in touch with Dimitri again.” Sylvain’s eyes remained focused on Ashe’s hair, but he was still engaged in the conversation. “He was a mess. He hadn’t cut his hair since high school, and it looks like a bird’s nest.”

“Dimitri liked to hide his face in it.” Ingrid sighed from the counter. “He would use it to cover his right side, since there’s a scar there from when he lost his eye.”

“And one day, Felix just got tired of looking at it.” Sylvain laughed. “Neither of them would talk to the other. Ingrid and I kept trying to bridge the gap between them, but to no avail. Then eventually, Felix got sick of Dimitri feeling sorry for himself. He wasn’t taking care of himself. He wouldn’t eat, sleep, or bathe. So, Felix’s attempt at an olive branch was offering to cut his hair for him.”

“I believe his exact words were.” Ingrid coughed to try and deepen her voice, but it was nowhere near as gruff or sultry as Felix’s, in Ashe’s totally completely unbiased opinion. “If I have to see that damned hair any longer, I’ll grab my fencing sword and cut off your head along with it!”

“And that’s when Felix realized that his love and proficiency for blades extended to office scissors he found in Rodrigue’s office.” Sylvain golf clapped.

“He withdrew some of the money Rodrigue left him and went to beauty school.” Ingrid continued with a sly smirk. “Though he refused to call it that.”

“Dimitri enrolled there, too.” Sylvain piped up. “Since he couldn’t apply to Garreg Mach like he had planned because of his injuries, he was pretty directionless, as well.”

“Then Felix bought this place.” Ingrid motioned around the shop. “We volunteered to work for them until they could find professional help, since I could use the money to save up for Garreg Mach and Sylvain was between jobs.”

“They said I could work here until I figure out what I want to do,” Sylvain perked up. “So I’m pretty much set for life.”

“You’d have to go to beauty school then,” Ingrid pointed out.

“School?” Ashe could see Sylvain’s nose scrunch up behind him from the mirror. “Never mind. I don’t suppose Loog’s Library is hiring?”

“I demand your company discount card if you actually go through with it.” Ingrid commented seriously, looking like she was about to pounce the redhead. “You would never even use it!”

“I’d use it!” Sylvain defended, before meeting Ashe’s eyes through the mirror. “Hey, Loog’s Library has dirty magazines, right?”

Ingrid drew a hair tie and aimed it at him like a sling shot.

“Kidding!” Sylvain yelped, arms raised in surrender.

By the time Felix and Dimitri came back from their break, Sylvain was rubbing his shoulder in pain, Ingrid was in the middle of a lecture, and Ashe could not take his eyes off from his reflection on the mirror.

“You straightened it.” Felix blinked at him. Twilight pink spread across his cheeks, up to his ears and down to his neck. Ashe wondered briefly if the pink reached his chest, before promptly short circuiting.

Ashe’s hair was now parted to one side and straightened. Due to the cut, his bangs were longer than the rest of his hair, but it no longer masked his face.

“And right now, it’s the only straight thing about him.” Sylvain winked. Ingrid swatted him in the arm again, to which the redhead stuck his tongue out at her challengingly.

Ashe felt his own face blush at the color commentary, which made Felix’s flush even more prominent.

“We got you all some beverages,” Dimitri greeted obliviously. He offered Ingrid an energy drink can and Sylvain a bottle of soda. He also was sipping out of a juice box.

“Well, Sylvain is done styling his hair.” Ingrid nudged the redhead and the other blond to follow her lead. “Felix, why don’t you handle his payment while the three of us drink these in the back room? Where we will absolutely not be pressing our ears against the door to eavesdrop. Though the walls are very thin, so I would like to put it on the record that you can not blame us for overhearing anything you may or may not discuss. Come on then, boys.”

Sylvain wiggled his eyebrows at the two men inconspicuously, Ingrid offered a very subtle thumbs up, and Dimitri just continued to look confused, as the three moved to the back room.

Felix seemed positively fascinated with his leather boots as he thrusted some packet at Ashe. The shorter man took the offering bemused, and noticed that it was a pouch of his favorite sweet tea.

“I asked Annette what you liked.” Felix confessed with a casual shrug, still fascinated by his admittedly cool looking boots. He brought a steaming cup of coffee to his lips, which was just unfair to Ashe because now Ashe was looking at those impossibly soft looking bow shaped lips.

“Thank you.” Ashe beamed up at him, before taking a sip. “How much did it cost?”

“It’s on me.” Felix dismissed with a wave. “So is the haircut. You’re Annette’s friend, after all.”

“Don’t do that.” Ashe scowled in indignation, hoping it didn’t look like a petulant pout. “I’m not a charity case. I didn’t tell you about my past because I wanted your pity.”

“It’s not that!” Felix snapped. He shook his head, before sighing. When he finally met his eyes, there was the ghost of a grin splitting the taller man’s face. “You really are something else.”

“What that supposed to mean?” Ashe frowned, unsure.

“Goddess, this is why I don’t do this,” Felix groaned, only baffling him more.

“Saints, I can’t listen to this anymore!” Ingrid exclaimed from inside the back room, startling the two.

“Felix is trying to flirt with you! He’s just really bad at it!” Sylvain explained, amusement abundant in his voice.

“That was supposed to be flirting?” Dimitri gasped in shock.

“Shut up, the lot of you!” Felix hissed. “I am perfectly capable of flirting on my own!”

“Flirting?” Ashe squawked.

“Yes.” Felix grit his teeth, before looking back at him, sunny irises full of uncertainty and insecurity. “Is it unwelcome?”

“No, no, no!” Ashe’s eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. “It is very much welcome.”

“Oh.” Felix gulped.

“Oh,” Ashe parroted.

“Saints, they deserve each other.” A banging noise rang across the room that sounded like Ingrid slamming her head against something.

“Sothis give them strength.” Sylvain implored, though like most things with the redhead, Ashe could not tell if it was a joke or not.

“Wait, so Felix likes Ashe?” Dimitri asked. “And Ashe likes Felix back?”

“You like me?” Ashe whispered.

“And you like me back?” Felix murmured back.

“Yeah,” Ashe answered.

“Yeah,” Felix echoed.

“But that doesn’t mean you get to pay for everything!” Ashe narrowed his eyes at him, stepping closer to him.

“How about on dates?” Felix argued, squinting back challengingly and taking a step forward, too.

“Only if I get to pay for some of them, too.” Ashe retorted, tilting his head up until their faces were only inches apart.

“Deal.” Felix swallowed down a laugh, leaning closer still.

Felix’s breath felt hot and it smelled even hotter against his own. And in the heat of the moment, Ashe was not sure who kissed who first. Instead, he was only aware of the taste of spicy ramen and bitter black coffee against his lips. He didn’t like spice, ramen, bitterness, black, or coffee, and yet he could not get enough of it. And by the way he kissed back, he was sure Felix felt the same way in spite of his aversion to the sweets he had consumed. The kiss was fairly tame and chaste, as Felix immediately pulled away, but both of them were left wantonly panting.

“I can’t hear anything. Did they leave?” Ingrid asked.

“Maybe they’re making out?” Sylvain.

“But they just met,” Dimitri stated, distraught.

“Oh Sothis, how you test me.” Felix shook his head, before shyly turning back to Ashe. “I really like the color you picked. It looks very good on you. And it’s styled well, too.” He coughed. “Sorry, I’m not used to complimenting people.”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to keep doing things worthy of your compliments.” Ashe smiled softly. “And thank you.”

And that was how, within the next moon, Ashe’s new boyfriend ended up being asked to color the hair of Ashe’s entire friend group since they liked how his hair was dyed. Dedue had a bright blue streak that ran across his right side to match his boyfriend. Annette colored the left half of her hair a cute pastel blue shade to contrast her naturally reddish orange locks. And Mercedes dyed the inner layer of her hair a soft blue hue that complimented her blonde tresses.

And all because Dedue commented on his roots.

**Author's Note:**

> Fanon theory that Felix has a thing for redheads: Beautiful, will probs write a Sylvix fic about it because I’m a basic bitch
> 
> Fanon theory that Felix has a thing for short girls because 3/4 of his male classmates are giants: TAKE MY MONEY *chef’s kiss*  
> 
> 
> Here is a list of Felix’s exes in this AU, all of whom are short, sweet, and clueless
> 
> 1) Annette, first girlfriend, had to endure awkward small talk with the Faerghus Four in high school, bonded with Felix over having fathers who loved Dimitri more than them and overworking themselves to get their attention but failing  
> 2) Lysithea, bonded over thinking other people are morons, spent 70% of their time arguing, was able to make Felix tolerate sweets like a normal person what the hell is wrong with you Felix cakes are awesome  
> 3) Bernadetta, bonded over being introverts and loving cats, made Felix learn how to not be an asshole all fo the time, one of the Faerghus Four’s faves  
> 4) Caspar, first boyfriend, was on one of his mixed martial arts teams, bonded over being gym rats and having tall friends, I am still salty that they do not have a support in game  
> 5) Flayn, was his cheerleader, but also not because she would cry when his opponents got hurt, bonded over losing a loved one, helped him realized that violence isn’t always the answer and that there is life outside of training  
> 
> 
> Twitter: @berning_bridges https://twitter.com/berning_bridges  
> Tumblr: bern-the-bridge https://bern-the-bridge.tumblr.com  
> 


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